There Was a Fire: Jews, Music and the American Dream (revised and Updated)

By: Howard S. Becker and Ben Sidran

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Synopsis: A National Jewish Book Award Finalist. A comprehensive social history of Jewish contributions to American popular music in the 20th century. Musician-journalist-producer-author Ben Sidran uses his first person experience to frame the story behind the story of Jews in American popular music. The book includes a significant chapter on Bob Dylan. In this updated edition, Sidran comments on the state of today's popular scene. Ben Sidran has recorded thirty-seven solo albums, produced recordings for numerous artists including Van Morrison, Diana Ross, Mose Allison, and Jon Hendricks, and is the music producer of the acclaimed film Hoop Dreams; he hosted "Jazz Alive" and "Sidran on Record" for National Public Radio and "New Visions" for VH-1 television. Sidran is the author of four previous books and holds a PhD in American Studies from Sussex University.